Portland Trail Blazers: Top 5 Free Agent Targets
By now you’ve heard all the rumors about LaMarcus Aldridge bolting from the Portland Trail Blazers, but have you also heard that Neil Olshey has contingencies in place if any one of his free agents decides to jump ship this summer?
Not to mention the fact that after trading Nicolas Batum last week and swapping their draft pick for Mason Plumlee, the Blazers already have noticeable holes in the roster that need to be filled. And while we don’t know all the details behind who the franchise might be targeting this summer, let’s take a look at five free agents that should be on Portland’s wish list.
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Kevin Love
In terms of replacing Aldridge’s production if he leaves, Kevin Love might be the Blazers’ best option. The question is if Love could actually be lured away from Cleveland. Reports indicate that Love is more than likely to sign a five-year max contract with the Cavaliers and opting out to hit free agency is merely a formality to ink a lucrative long-term deal.
Still, the Blazers would be wasting a huge opportunity if they didn’t contact Love’s agent and try to lure the big man back to where he grew up and be the local hero. Most fans hail Love’s most recent season as a down year and he still averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds and two assists per contest.
If Love were to come to Portland he’d be tasked with more of a scoring load, which would probably bring his numbers closer to the 26-12-4 he posted his last year in Minnesota. In contrast, LaMarcus’ stat line from last season was 23-10-2. Food for thought
Danny Green
The prototypical “3 and D” player, Danny Green couldn’t be hitting the free agency market at a more opportune time. Lots of people like to poke at Green and say that he’s a product of the Spurs’ system and won’t contribute much value outside of San Antonio, but when you shoot better than 41 percent from distance four years in a row, something’s working for you.
And while the Blazers brass does not currently have a meeting scheduled with Green, I would expect them to pursue him vigorously, especially if Wesley Matthews leaves and makes the hole at the wing spot even bigger.
Ironically, the factor that might swing Green the Blazers way could be LaMarcus Aldridge signing with the Spurs because the cap implications would all but guarantee that San Antonio have to either let Green walk away or trade valuable swingman Boris Diaw.
Mike Dunleavy
While we’re on the topic of 3 and D players, we’d be remise if we didn’t mention Mike Dunleavy. Mike Dunleavy is 34 years old, but for $3 million or 4 million per year, the veteran guard provides a lot of toughness on the defensive end and 40 percent-plus 3-point shooting on the other end. He even has the invaluable skill of being able to get under opposing players’ skin.
His resume from these most recent playoffs speaks for itself:
Heck, even LeBron James is interested in Mike. With depth on the wing being an issue for the Blazers, signing Dunleavy could turn out to be a move the rest of the league envies in April.
Paul Millsap
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Again, if we’re looking to replace production at an empty power forward position, Paul Millsap does a lot of the things that Aldridge currently does for Portland.
He’s not as great from mid-range as Aldridge, but he’s a slightly better passer and he would cost significantly less than Aldridge which would give the Blazers some wiggle room to sign other impact players and round out a competitive roster.
Other positives that come with signing Millsap, he’s a serviceable 3-point shooter, something neither Aldridge nor Robin Lopez has ever been able to do in high volumes.
In a league that is continually glutting itself on three-point shots, having a man at the 4 position that requires respect beyond the arc helps space the floor and will open up driving lanes for guys like Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Millsap is a great interior scorer as well, with nearly 60 percent of his shots coming from within 10 feet of the basket.
While he isn’t the threat the Aldridge is in pick-and-pop situations, Millsap is still a smart pick-and-roll player that knows how to roll to the basket and take advantage of collapsing defenses. Finally, since we’re talking about the Trail Blazers here, it’s important to note that Paul’s never missed significant time due to injury, invaluable in Portland.
Roy Hibbert
While Roy may not be a free agent this summer, he is definitely available for acquiring by a team that believes in his skill set. The Blazers’ interest in Hibbert goes all the way back to when the big man was a restricted free agent and the Blazers offered him a max contract.
Ultimately, the Pacers matched the offer and even as recently as the 2013-14 season, Hibbert looked like one of the most dominant defensive forces in the league. However, after a disappointing performance in that year’s playoffs and inconsistent performance over the last year, Indiana has made it clear that Hibbert is not a part of the franchise’s long-term future.
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In fact, the situation has grown so poisonous that when the center recently opted in to the final year of his contract, fans took to Twitter to let the big man know he wasn’t wanted.
At this point the Pacers would be happy to shed Hibbert’s $15.5 million salary and get nearly any asset in return so if the Blazers strike out on some of their top tier free agents, expect the front office to kick the tires on dealing for Roy.
The biggest knock on Hibbert has been his inability to score in the post, but the Blazers currently have Robin Lopez manning the middle who has never been touted for his offensive prowess and swapping Lopez for Hibbert would hardly impact the Blazers offense and be a massive upgrade on the defensive end. A locked-in Roy Hibbert protects the rim as well as anyone in the NBA.
This is a historic offseason, with eye popping amounts of money available to players that are looking for new deals. Portland has done a splendid job of keeping a clean cap sheet and ensuring that the franchise has options to play with here in NBA free agency.
With only six guaranteed contracts on the books for next season it will be fascinating to see what the roster looks like as the summer progresses.
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